Step by Step
by fictiongirl8
Summary: A short story where Deacon tells Maddie about a special moment in her childhood he had the opportunity to witness.


"I hate you! You ruined my life!" Maddie shouted as she stomped up the stairs and slammed the door in the typical teenage fashion.

Rayna rolled her eyes at her dramatics and sighed as she sat down on the couch. It seemed like whenever they got into a fight whether it be about doing her homework or not being allowed out, it would all boil down to one thing, Deacon. Slowly they would drift away from their original disagreement and Maddie would bring up how she hadn't told her that Deacon was her father. Rayna worried that although most of the time Maddie embraced having two amazing fathers that truly loved her, she would always resent Rayna for keeping Deacon from her for so long. Her and Deacon had put that argument to rest and had found their way back to each other, finally pulling their family together. But every so often nights like these would happen and Rayna would begin to question her decisions all over again.

"You kept him from me, all those moment that I'll never get back, you took them!"

Maddie's words echoed in Rayna's mind. Rayna was brought back from her daze by a hand gently squeezing her shoulder.

"Together?" Deacon asked.

Rayna nodded and smiled. Despite the difficulties they sometimes had to face with their unique situation she knew she wouldn't be facing it alone and that he'd always be by her side. They walked up the stairs and slowly opened the door to Maddie's room. She was sitting crossed legged on her bed with a sad longing look in her eyes and she was flipping through what Rayna recognized as her photo album. From similar conversations they had had, Rayna knew that Maddie didn't regret having Teddy as her father and raising her, but it hurt her that Deacon hadn't been there too to see her grow up.

They walked over to her and sat on either side of her, each putting one arm around her.

"You know, darlin', I wish that I could've been there to see all of this, but you know your mama had her reasons for doing so, and one day when you have kids of your own you might understand why she did what she did a little better. Even if you can't do that right now, you gotta let that hurt, that anger inside you go, because it only holds you back and it keeps you from living the way you're meant to." Deacon said to her, always knowing exactly what to say.

Sometime it took her by surprise how well he'd fallen into the role of a father. Rayna was still learning every day more and more how to be a better mother, yet it came to Deacon so naturally and he'd only just gotten here.

"It just doesn't seem fair. You didn't get to be there for dance recitals, see me take my first steps, or take me to my first day of school. Now that I look back it all feels wrong, because you were missing and you didn't have the chance to be there for it."

"Now you're right about a lot of that, but you're wrong about one thing. I was there when you first walked." Deacon replied with a smile that spread from ear to ear as he recalled the memory.

"Didn't your mama ever tell you about how you took you're first steps?"

Maddie shook her head.

"You never told her?" Deacon inquired.

"It was never really brought up." Rayna said, trying to deflect his question.

Truthfully, she had always liked to keep that moment private. Watching that moment happen between Maddie and Deacon, him unknowingly being her dad, it was something she liked to keep to herself, it was a glimmer of hope for her that one day he would know and be able to be there for all the moments to come.

"It's kind of a legendary story. We had been out on the road for the past couple months, but we were rehearsing for a show at the Rhyman. You had just turned one and were crawling all over the place like crazy. We had to have someone keep an eye on you at all times or you'd end up backstage getting caught up in all the wires. We were taking a break and your mama was trying to keep you from crawling around the stage when she finally gave up and let you roam around. You were so adorable that pretty much everyone had gathered around to watch you, you loved the attention, laughing and giggling, as everyone was mesmerized by you. I was sitting on the edge of the stage tuning my guitar as I watched you put on a show for everyone. Finally you pushed yourself off the ground and started walking. Of course your mama started having a fit that she hadn't gotten it on camera. Then you walked right on over to me, so I started fooling around on the guitar, just playing some chords, and you giggled and clapped. After you went took a victory lap around the stage for all your fans." Deacon explained, finishing the story with a chuckle.

"Wait, so I took my first steps on the stage of the church of country music!?" Maddie exclaimed, excitedly.

Rayna and Deacon nodded.

"And you never told me?!" Maddie said, looking at Rayna.

"You probably wouldn't have thought it was that cool until now anyways," Rayna said, defending herself.

"This is so awesome, how many people can say they took there first steps at the Rhyman!"

"Probably one," Deacon said, getting a laugh at the amazement in Maddie's voice.

"Even though it super cool that I took my first steps and that Rhyman, it's even more special that you were there to see them," Maddie said, looking straight at Deacon.

"I'm glad I got that to be there, too. You know just because I missed a lot it just means that I'm gonna try to fit a little bit more into each day to make up for it all." Deacon responded.

With that said, Rayna and Deacon squeezed Maddie tightly between them, each saying how much they loved her. Although it at first seemed like it was going to be another night of bringing up the painful topic of what Rayna had decided all those years ago, it had turned into an opportunity for all three of them to forgive and to heal.


End file.
